In making his first public comments since the end of the 2025 season two months ago, Aaron Rodgers on Wednesday recognized there would be attention on his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
About 20 minutes into his live video chat with McAfee on his popular YouTube channel, Rodgers headed off hopes that the Pittsburgh Steelers or their fans would get any sort of definitive word on whether Rodgers plans to play for them this coming season.
“I want to say that anybody on here who’s expecting me to make some big decision, just shut it off,” Rodgers said, smiling. “Just turn it off now. Just leave.”
The 42-year-old Rodgers, of course, played for the Steelers last season, going 10-6 as a starter and leading them to the AFC North title but another first-round playoff loss.
His contract expires next week, and the Steelers have only Mason Rudolph and Will Howard returning under contract at quarterback. General manager Omar Khan said last week at the NFL Combine that he does not expect a decision from Rodgers to take as long as it did last season, when Rodgers signed with the Steelers in early June to become their fifth different Week 1 starting quarterback over the past five seasons.
Rodgers on Wednesday echoed what Khan said last week that the team did not impose a deadline on him for a decision.
“What are we sitting here? It’s March 4th,” Rodgers said to McAfee, a Plum native. “Free agency starts in a week. I’ve been spending a lot of time with my wife. We went on a ski trip. Just been laying low. There’s a lot of other things going on, the situation in Malibu has changed.”
Rodgers won two of his four NFL MVP awards while with the Green Bay Packers under coach Mike McCarthy, the Greenfield native who was hired last month as coach of the Steelers.
Rodgers said he’s talked with McCarthy and Khan in recent weeks but that no formal contract offer has been made.
“So there’s nothing that I’m having to debate between,” Rodgers said. “I’m a free agent. I’m enjoying my time with my wife. Enjoying this part of the offseason. I think there’s conversations to be had down the line, but right now… There hasn’t been any progressive conversations.”
This story will be updated.